A New East – West Interstate Proposed For Central Louisiana
If you're not familiar with how the numbering of America's Interstate Highway system is done it goes like this. Roadways that carry travelers from east to west or vice versa are even numbered. Roadways that carry travelers north and south are odd numbered.
You're probably familiar with Interstates 10 and 20 and maybe even I-12 as far as east-west routes are concerned. Interstate 49 and I-55 are the primary north-south routes.
There is a new push for a new Interstate highway across the central section of our state. This proposed roadway would connect west Texas to Georgia via Central Louisiana around the Alexandria area.
We feel like we have the support of the Louisiana Delegation and we’re just waiting for an appropriations or transportation bill or some other appropriate activity to come up so we can get that designation.
Those comments were made by Malcom Morris of Leesville, who is with the Gulf Coast Strategic Highway Coalition. His views were reported by the Louisiana Radio Network.
Morris suggested in his comments that Interstate 14 would follow a very familiar route through the state's midsection.
A route from the Sabine River Bridge, LA 8 now and Texas 63, across 28 to Natchez, Mississippi.
Besides economic impact in the state Morris believes there could be a strategic advantage to adding another east-west corridor in the state. Especially when you consider how close the proposed route would come to Fort Polk in Vernon Parish.
The Port of Beaumont, which is the port of debarkation for Fort Polk, the Port of Corpus Christi. The interstate itself will not run to Corpus Christi or to Beaumont but it will run to arteries that connect to them.
I wouldn't hold my breath on anything concrete in regards to Interstate 14 in the next few years. Supporters of the project believe that even with support from Louisiana's Congressional delegation any construction would likely be a decade or more away.